The semester started on Wednesday, September 7th for all Mercy College students, but it was mandatory for nursing students to arrive on September 6th, for an orientation. I'll admit when I got the letter about it in August, I was less than pleased. I wanted to spend my last day before school out doing something, but suddenly I had my wings clipped. It was alright though, when you choose your major, that becomes your first priority.

On September 6th, I walked into the Rotunda to see a room filled with people. Some faces energetic, other faces tired, or bored, and some faced waiting with anticipation for what's to come this year. A lot of the faces I saw were old, after all the Nursing Cohort of 2019 are stuck with each other, we saw each other all last semester, all in the same classes, and I'm sure it'd be the same this time as well. There were some new faces though, faces of the new students who would be experiencing the same thing I did last year. The same things I would be expecting this year. The anticipation mixed with anxiety and worry. As I walked in I discovered that we would have to find the "freshmen buddy" whose name was on the back of our name tag. Talk about being blindsided. The orientation began with leader of the nursing program speaking about the National Student Nurses' Association, and discussing plans for the year. Then a professor went on to discuss the classes this year, expectations, and a reading of the student handbook. The freshman got to leave after the president of the Student Nurses' Association finished speaking. Lucky them. After the handbook reading we got to see the stimulation lab, it was just the portable classroom as the real one is being built where the old gym is or above it, but it was still exciting. The professors talked a bit more and when it finally ended we felt exhausted. There was so much going on this semester and so many things that needed to be done, that despite the happiness that it was over, there was some dread of what's to come.

September 7th, for me that day was when I had to first wear my uniform, life half the kids in the sophomore cohort of the nursing program. The other half would be wearing them around on the eighth. We have to wear them for our nursing class, and so on the first day of school I had to wear the uniform. Talk about coming to dress to impress, right? My first class was sociology, and the nursing students have different times when it comes to this one, so I'll have to tell you my experience. The teacher was a cute, old man who reminded me a bit of Santa. He seemed to be a jolly fellow but his voice was so soft I could barely hear him, and it went on like that for about an hour. I'm thoroughly hoping that he was just a but sick and didn't want to use his voice, but the sinking feeling in my gut says otherwise. He was nice, it was just reading the syllabus but he's one of those teachers who won't end class early even though everything that he's done with class. Then it was off to Oral Communications, which by the way is a nerve wrecking class for me. The teacher was lovely, used to be an actor, and was easy to talk to, but giving speeches in front of a whole class using only memory without any papers to read off? Can you say "yikes?"

Onto the real fun for the nursing students, Health Promotion and Assessment -- the reason why we had to wear the scrubs in the first place. The first part of the class is the lecture, we used a program called Sherpath, which we had to pay a lot of money for, by the way. We learned how to properly use it, there are sims, and eBooks, and personalized multiple choice questions that develop to our weaknesses. It was a lot of fun despite the worry of what would happen if we didn't pass this class. What wasn't fun? The $178 we had to pay, or excuse me, it actually went up to $194 for the Sherpath access code. The lab portion was more fun than the lecture, we got to pretend to be giving the initial interview at the doctors. So someone would make up a reason why they were at the doctor's office and we would ask them questions and practice what it would be like to be a real nurse. The day ended at 3:35 p.m. and we felt a little accomplished for surviving and a little worried for the days to come.

September 8th, I only had one class at it was the Microbiology class with the rest of the sophomore nursing cohort. It was an hour and twenty minutes and the teacher is a sweet person. She's kind, funny, and tried to make sure everyone was able to understand what was going on. This class we actually had a lecture, but she threw in multiple choice questions and made it very enjoyable for everyone. We were all despising the test to come but we left very happy. Though we were also very happy because the textbook was one we didn't need to buy from Mercy, it wasn't a mercy college edition so it was great. Students had to take their oral communications class, their sociology class, and the health assessment that day, others had it the previous day and some had a mix of the classes on both days, but lucky for me I get to go home early.

September 9th, the whole sophomore class had Nutrition and grew slightly annoyed at the fact that the teacher talked in a whisper, even after addressing the issue and the teacher replying that he would try to speak louder. We could barely hear him the whole time. Though getting out of class early was definitely a benefit we could take in exchange. Though once again I must bring up the textbook that was $97. It was around that number, because it was a mercy college edition and we needed to get it from the school. After class we headed to the bookstore, not just one or two of us but about a dozen or so, to buy the Microbiology Lab manual that is also mercy college edition, the Nutrition textbook, and the Sherpath access code because it keeps going out of stock. The Nutrition book and the Microbiology Lab book came out to about $240 . Though the Sherpath access code was out of stock, again. We got food and snacks and discussed the week and just relaxed in till Microbiology lab began and we jumped right in. We began with reading the syllabus, then with lab rules, and then we did two labs which were interesting enough. The day ended with some of the nursing students heading home, others grabbing a bite, and others heading to their next class.

Thankfully the first week was easy enough, but things will only get serious from here on in. The only thing that really happened this week was a dent in our pockets and a look at what's to come.